Sign



Dec 31, 1935- A. F. sPrrzGLAss 2,025,328

SIGN

Filed Feb. 9, 1955 295. J5 f6 dmvemfoz" Patented Dec. 31, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE SIGN Albert F. Spitzglass, Chicago, Ill.

Application February 9, 1935, Serial No. 5,766

14 Claims. (Cl. 40-130) This invention relates to electric signsfnd is' illustrated as embodied in a neon sign.

Neon signs, and equivalent gas-filled tube types of signs, require transformers to secure the high voltage current necessary for the neon lights. It is desirable to arrange these transformers as close to the signs as possible, to secure the shortest possible high-voltage connections, and yet it is extremely difficult to blend a transformer unit into the appearance of one of these signs, if placed immediately behind it, and not have it mar the appearance of the sign. This is especially true of signs having the sky as a background, so that the outline of the letters shows up clearly in the daytime.

The present invention has for its principal object the elimination of this diiriculty by placing the transformer unit immediately behind the sign, giving the shortest possible connections, and concealing it by a novel arrangement of the illuminated parts of the sign.

In one desirable arrangement, giving the desired effect in an inexpensive manner, a reector is arranged in front of and substantially conceal- 325 ing the transformer unit, and reflects light from a correspondingly-arranged part of the neon light tubing, so that there is no appearance of anything blocked out or concealed but rather a pleasing blending oi the reflected light with the gen- 30 eral illuminated configuration of the sign.

I prefer to use a reilector having a series of parallel reflecting surfaces giving the appearance of a bank of parallel bands of light.

In one of the illustrated embodiments, I utilize 30 two such reflectors at angles diverging from a straight section of the neon tubing arranged between them, giving a very brilliant and relatively broad bank of parallel light bands.

In the other illustrated embodiment, a single 40 reector has parallel surfaces reflecting the light of the letters of the sign proper, giving a somewhat similar bank of bands of light, which however are less brilliant than the letters making up v the sign proper, and blending pleasingly there- 4 with.

Other features of the invention relate to the manner of setting the tubing assembly into the transformer casing, to facilitate assembly of the complete sign; and to the provision of means, preferably carried by the transformer casing, for supporting the tubing and which conforms to the shape of and is substantially concealed by portions of the tubing. This and other objects and `55. novel features of the invention will be apparent Figure 2 is a diagrammatic end elevation thereof;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a second embodiment;

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic end elevation thereof;

Figure 5 is a rear elevation of the embodiment of Figure 1; and

Figure 6 is a partial perspective from the rear, showing one end of the transformer casing of the l0 embodiment of Figure 3.

The sign illustrated in Figures 1, 2, and 5 cornprises letters or other indicia I0 of connected neon tubing, arranged in upper and lower sections making up (in the particular arrangement illusl5 trated) the words Neon and Signs respectively. Y

Associated with these sections, and arranged between and immediately behind them, is a transformer unit comprising a suitable casing I2 20 containing the transformer M. The incoming connections of the transformer are illustrated as formed into a cable I6, and the secondary terminals or leads i8 are arranged at opposite ends of the unit.

The tubing assembly lil (which is preferably all one rigid unit) has terminals 28 turned inwardly toward each other and connected to the leads I8. The casing i2 is cut away at 22 on its front and its ends, so that the tubing can be set readily in 30 place Without taking anything apart.

An important feature of the present invention relates to concealing the transformer unit without detracting from the appearance of the sign. In Figures l, 2, and 5, the transformer is effectively concealed by two reflectors 24 and 26 spaced apart slightly on opposite sides of and parallel to a straight section 2S of the neon tubing IB. These reflectors are secured to the casing l2 over the openings 22 on the front of the casing. 40

The reflectors 24 and 26 preferably comprise series of parallel reilector surfaces arranged divergingly with respect to the tubing section 28,

`as iliustrated diagrammatically in Figure 2, so

that the reflected light with the direct light from section 28) gives the appearance of a brilliant bank of parallel bands of light.

Another feature of the invention relates to supporting the tubing, preferably on the transformer casing, by studs or brackets 29, 3i, 33, and 35 50 which conform to the shape of and are substantially concealed by portions of the tubing arranged in front of them. These studsalso serve to protect the tubing during shipment, as they project slightly beyond the tubing.

In the embodiment of Figures 3, 4, and 6, there is a single reflector comprising a series of angularly-related reflector surfaces arranged (as shown in Figure 4) to reiiect the light from the tubing sections l0. This gives a bank of bands embodiment, but blending pleasingly into the general illumination of the sign and effectively concealing the transformer unit. v

While two illustrative embodiments have been described in detail, it is not my intention to limit the scope of my invention to those particular embodiments, or otherwise than by the terms `of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A neon sign or the like comprising upper and lower sections of neon tubing constituting the lights of an illuminated sign, a transformer unit Y for said lights arranged between said upper and lower sections, and a vertically-arranged bank of parallel reiiectors between said sections in front of and substantially concealing said unit and arranged to reflect light from at least a part of said tubing and giving the appearance of a series of parallel illuminated bands between said neon sections blending into the general design of the slgn.

2. A neon sign comprising an electricallyilluminated indicia of neon tubing, a transformer unit therefor, and spaced parallel reflectors in front of and substantially concealing said unit and each consisting of a parallel series of reflector surfaces, generally diverging from the space between said reflectors, said tubing having a section arranged in the space between said reectors and the light from which is reflected from said surfaces to form (with the direct light from said section) a bank of illuminated bands concealing said transformer unit.

3. A neon sign comprising a tubing assembly having terminals bent toward each other behind the assembly, a transformer, leads connecting said terminals and said transformer at the opposite ends of the latter, a casing for the transformer formed with openings in its face and ends into which said terminals may be set with the tubing assembly arranged in front of and at one side of the casing, and a reflector unit secured to the front of said casing over said front openings and reecting light from the tubing assembly to conceal said casing from the front of the sign.

4. A sign comprising electrically illuminated indicia including two sections of gas lled tubing, spaced reflectors mounted between said sections, and another section of tubing mounted between said 'reflectors and arranged to illuminate the reiiectors.

5. A sign comprising a transformer casing, reflector means arranged in front of and substantially concealing said casing, gas filled tubing forming indicia extending laterally beyond said reflector means and so arranged that light from at least a part of said tubing will illuminate the reector means, and supports for the tubing carried by the casing and arranged behind said Y tubing.

6. A sign comprising a transformer casing, gas filled tubing forming indicia mounted on and extending laterally beyond said casing, the ends of said tubing being connected to the transformer casing, and supports for the tubing carried by said casing conforming to the shape of and arranged behind and substantially concealed by portions of said tubing.

7. A sign comprising a transformer casing, gas filled tubing forming indicia mounted on and extending laterally beyond said casing, the ends of said tubing being connected to the transformer casing, and supports for the tubing carried by vof light somewhat less brilliant than in the first said casing conforming to the shape of and arranged behind and substantially concealed by portions of said tubing, said supports extending beyond the tubing suiiiciently to protect the tubing during shipment.

8. A sign comprising a transformer having a casing, gas filled tubing mounted above and below said casing and connected to the transformer, and supports for the tubing carried by the casing and extending upwardly and downwardly and conforming to the shape of and arranged behind and substantially concealed by portions of said tubing.

9. A sign comprising an electrically illuminated indicia of gas filled tubing, and a reflector mounted at one side of said tubing and so arranged as to reflect light from at least a part of said tubing, together with a transformer casing behind and concealed by said reflector and having laterally extending supports for the tubing conformingto the shape of and behind and substantially concealed by portions of said tubing.

10. A sign comprising electrically illuminated indicia including two sections of gas filled tubing and a reflector mounted between said sections and so arranged as to reflect light from at least a part of said tubing, together with a transformer casing behind and concealed by said reflector and having upwardly and downwardly extending supports for the tubing conforming to the shape of and behind and substantially concealed by portions of said tubing.

11. A sign comprising an electrically illuminated indicia of gas filled tubing, and a reflector mounted at one side of said tubing and so arranged as to reflect light from at least a part of said tubing, together with a transformer casing behind and concealed by said reflector and having laterally extending supports for the tubing conforming to the shape of and behind and substantially concealed by portions of said tubing, said supports extending beyond the tubing sulficiently to protect the tubing during shipment.

l2. A sign comprising electrically illuminated indicia including two sections of gas filled tubing and a reflector mounted between said sections and so arranged as to reflect light from at least a part of said tubing, together with a transformer casing behind and concealed by said reflector and having upwardly and downwardly extending supports for the tubing conforming to the shape of and behind and substantially concealed by portions of said tubing, said supports extending beyond the tubing sufficiently to protect the tubing during shipment.

13. A sign comprising a transformer having a casing, gas filled tubing mounted above and below said casing and connected to the transformer, and supports for the tubing carried by the casing and extending upwardly and downwardly and conforming to the shape of and arranged behind and substantially concealed by portions of said tubing and extending beyond the tubing sufficiently to protect the tubing during shipment.

la. A sign comprising electrically illuminated indicia including two sections of gas filled tubing and a reflector mounted between said sections and so arranged as to reflect light from at least a part of said tubing, together with a transformer casing behind and concealed by said reector and having upwardly and downwardly extending supports for the tubing.

ALBERT F. sPITzGLAss. 

